This one started a little bit slower but once it picked up, I was really happy I didn't put it down. There was some info dumping and I had to try my best to remember all but that was okay, it's fantasy after all and what good fantasy doesn't require a notebook? I liked the banter, liked the characters AND most of all, I liked there was growth for all through the story. Definitely recommend to fantasy lovers.

Loved loved loved this! It was a solid 4.5/4.75 stars!

From the beginning I loved Silla's character and was rooting for her all throughout the book. I felt so connected to her and just wanted to go into the book and give her a big hug! She never gives up, no matter what happens and even when it feels like all is lost, she keeps positive and tries to find the best of the situation.

I really liked the plot and couldn't predict where the story was going to go. I also could not have predicted the ending so it'll definitely keep you on your toes.

I'm so excited for book 2!

I had high hopes for this one after reading all the reviews and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. It wasn’t a full five star read for me because it did drag a little in the middle but it definitely started with a bang and ended on an even bigger bang which made up for any pacing issues in the middle. It was much darker than I was anticipating, it was a little scary and had my heart racing at points which I loved.

I wish I had looked up spoilers beforehand like I usually do because there was a particular trope in there that is a pet peeve of mine, but this didn’t affect my rating as it’s a personal issue, not an issue with the writing.

I would recommend it if you love a high fantasy with a twisty mystery and an intriguing romantic subplot or if you've ever played Skyrim and loved it.

Thanks to Orion Publishing Group for the ARC ❤️

The Road Of Bones is the first book in The Ashen series, and I had an absolute blast! It's fast-paced, full of action with a well executed magic system, and I'm going to be highly anticipating book two because that ending? I actually need more right now.

Demi Winter's writing is impeccable. All of the characters are distinctive and have their own personalities, especially our FMC Silla. She's courageous and free spirited, although slightly naive, which means she makes questionable decisions. Sometimes, I definitely rooted for her and loved seeing her confidence grow.
The romance is not prominent, and it is slow burn, which I appreciate. I'm not normally a fan of the love triangle trope, but this really works here, and being completely honest, both Jonas and Rey are 🥵 with forbidden romance, knife to the throat scenes and "she's mine" possessive romance there's more than enough to satisfy the romance girlie's. The spice scenes are actually some of my faves in recent romantasy, too, so there's that.

If you're looking for your new romantasy fix, I definitely would recommend this one.
With found family, an evil queen, intrigue, and mystery and magic, there's something for everyone I can't wait to continue on with the series.

After watching her father killed by mysterious assassins, Silla Nordvig is trying to escape her dangerous past and the unknown secrets that come with it. She sets out on a risky journey to safety along the Road of Bones. Hoping to get a ride with a tough group of Viking warriors, she stows away on their wagon and has to prove herself when discovered. Along the way, she faces tricky alliances, dark creatures, and a love that grows even when it seems impossible.

Demi Winters creates a vivid world inspired by Viking culture and Norse myths. The setting feels like Skyrim plus Dragon Age, which I love. The scenes are beautifully described, and the fights are intense, making it difficult to put down. Getting used to the complicated society and the different characters takes some time if you are unfamiliar with Norse words, but there is a handy glossary in the back.

The characters are interesting and well-developed. Silla grows throughout her journey as she learns to balance her fight for survival with her inner strength. I love that all the Bloodaxe crew members are distinct individuals and some of them have disabilities that are handled with grace, love the inclusion! Her interactions with the Bloodaxe Crew, especially her complicated relationships with Axe Eyes and Wolf, keep the story engaging and the fight scenes are well-written and fun to read.

If you enjoy dark low fantasy or dark romantasy, "The Road of Bones" is a book that fans of gritty tales like *Throne of Glass* and *The Last Kingdom* will love. It’s great for readers who appreciate themes of found family, slow-building romance, and stories set in Viking-inspired worlds.

Themes/Tropes
- Found family
- Enemies becoming lovers
- Slow-building romance
- Brooding warrior character(s)
- Dangerous quest

Some content warnings: This book includes violence and gore, attempted sexual assault, emotional abuse, addiction, grief, forced drugging, captivity, and loss of family.

The Road of Bones is an dark viking fantasy full of romance and betrayal. Demi Winters has crafted an intricate and excited story that pulled me in from the very first page. I absolutely loved this viking inspired story and the world building was immaculate. I really enjoyed Silla's journey and I loved reading about her character development throughout the book.

The Road of Bones was a spectacular start to the Ashen series and I am highly looking forward to the second installment.

The Road of Bones by Demi Winters was a surprising and exciting read. This Viking-inspired, multi-POV story centers on Silla, who, after losing her father, sets off on the dangerous “Road of Bones.” Along her journey, Silla encounters the fierce Bloodaxe Crew, sparking unlikely alliances and clashes with mercenaries and monsters alike. Winters does a great job crafting distinct, authentic voices—Silla’s resilience shines, and the whole cast, even side characters, feel well-rounded and real.

The romance subplot adds a tender but intense dynamic without overshadowing the plot. The story's balance between dark themes and moments of levity gives it depth without slipping into grimdark territory. Winters' world-building and representation are top-notch, though some plot points were predictable, and the magic system could have used a bit more explanation.

An adventure well worth reading, especially for fans of complex characters, rich dialogue, and rugged, dangerous settings. I’m definitely looking forward to book two!

Absolutely fantastic read, already preordered the next one, had a good mix of world introduction and action. Potentially some trigger warnings around sexual assault

Copy of my review:

Someone recommended this book and so I thought I'd give it a go.

The first few pages felt similar to another book I recently read, which I loved, so I was a bit worried it would be a similar story. Thankfully it started going down a different path.
The story centres around a girl called Silla, though we do get different POVs from other characters throughout the book.

Silla finds herself on the run, trying to evade capture from the King's men as the Queen is hunting her. She needs to get to a particular town to find safety and this means travelling on the road of bones. She hides in a cart and gets discovered by the carts owners and has to convince them not to kill her but to take her with them.

A lot of the book focuses on this journey, where Silla makes friends, finds a lover and finds things about herself as well as evading capture and her travelling companions finding out she is being hunted and why. The book is slow burning and can feel it drags a bit at times, but the last 30% or so of the book is full action with many twists and betrayal.

It is the first of a series and does end with many questions unanswered but it was overall enjoyable and I look forward to the next book, where hopefully we get answers.

I LOVED this book. Five out of five stars.

I loved the character growth Silla went through.
I loved the characters and the way she connected with them on her journey, even the antagonist.
I loved the world building and glimpses of the magic we were treated to.
I loved the pacing, and the balance of the action sequences and the quieter moments. Every point felt like it was moving the story forward and I couldn’t get enough of either.

I’ve read quite a few books lately that built tension but in a way that stressed me out to the point I had to step away from the story for a bit. But the tension this book created left me not wanting to put it down at all.

I thought I picked up on all the potential twists and was pleasantly surprised every time.

The romance, the betrayals, the heartbreaks, the friendships, the past our protagonist doesn’t remember. I literally can’t think of a single thing I didn’t enjoy in this book.

I’m almost sad I’ve read this as an ARC because that means the longer I have to wait to read the next part of this story.

I cannot explain how much I loved this book.

When I read the blurb I knew I just had to read this. Vikings, fantasy creatures and forbidden romance. Count me in!!

The first thing I have to say is that when I read, I’m an anomaly. I don’t visualise what I’m reading, I simply take the words in. This book is the first one (out of hundreds) where I have been able to visualise what I am reading. That is huge for me and this book will stay with me forever because of that. In the acknowledgements the author mentions she drew inspiration from the show the Vikings. And that is EXACTLY what I was picturing in my head when I was reading. She has done an amazing job at bringing the words to life.

This book captured me from the first chapter and I could not put it down. It was full of intrigue, mystery and nothing was as it seemed. The author tackles serious issues such as potential SA and substance abuse and it is done so well. The intimate scenes were tasteful and the romance was turbulent!

Silla has massive character development throughout the book and I loved how her strength is her kindness and compassion. I cannot wait for the second book to continue in this world to see how much more she can grow. I feel like we have a potential bad ass on our hands!

The Road of Bones is a fantastic fantasy read with monsters, battle, immense world building, magic and romance. An easy 5 stars from me.

The Road of Bones, where fierce Viking mercenaries, a deadly quest, and a dash of forbidden romance set the scene for an epic adventure!

Demi Winters sweeps us into the snow-drenched, danger-riddled world of Silla Nordvig, a young woman on the run with a secret so powerful, the queen herself wants her dead.

When Silla stumbles into the infamous Bloodaxe Crew, complete with the dark and mysterious leader Axe Eyes and his infuriatingly handsome second-in-command, the Wolf, she’s got to prove her worth or face an icy end.

As Silla battles her way along the thousand-mile Road of Bones, full of deadly assassins and eerie creatures, she finds herself caught between survival, loyalty, and a slow-burn romance that crackles with tension.

Winters masterfully balances action packed sequences with moody Viking lore and sharp, snappy banter that keeps you hooked.

Fans of slow building romance, treacherous paths, and dark fairy-tale worlds will find themselves absolutely entranced. It’s gritty, it’s swoony, and it’s a must read for anyone who loves their fantasy with a Viking twist!

The Road of Bones is a fierce and fabulous start to the Ashen Series!

The Road of Bones is the first instalment in a new high fantasy series, which I believe will be five books. I had seen some good reviews and now I can see why. The story is utterly addictive and immerses you as a reader. The book is a debut and very well written. The world is full vividly and immense. I absolutely adored the Viking inspiration and the crew of mercenaries. There are plenty of well loved tropes such as found family, forbidden romance and brooding MMCs. The book also covers some difficult topics well, I especially liked the representation of addiction and grief. The FMC feels real, she may well be a damsel in distress but there is growth and personality there that just makes me root for her.
As the book is multiple POV we also get to see from the male perspective and villains perspectives - this helped with the world-building and I liked the varied narrative.
Definitely highly recommended for romantasy lovers looking for their next high fantasy adventure with plenty of banter and peril.
Just to also note - this book contains some interesting monsters, such as vampire deer 🦌, I don’t know where they have originated from but the scenes with them in are tense and I simply need to know more about this world and its creatures.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

The Road of Bones is a Norse inspired fantasy romance that follows, Silla, whose father's dying words send her on a dangerous journey along the Road of Bones to reach a safe house in the city Kopa. While on the run, she accidentally stows away on the wagon of the infamous Bloodaxe Crew, a group of Viking mercenaries. She must convince them to keep her safe on the road of bones and help get to Kopa, the only place she might have a chance of being safe.

Before going into this book, I saw it marketed as a Romantasy, but for me this was more of a fantasy with a romance subplot but I still absolutely adored this book and it is definitely one of my top reads of the year. I loved getting to know each member of the Bloodaxe Crew and how Silla fit into their tight knit crew. The character development for characters was excellent and world building was incredible. The first 10% is a little slow, but stick with it! I was hooked once the story kicked off.

If you are a fan of found family, amazing character growth, magic, mystery, intrigue and sexy vikings, this one is definitely for you. The ending absolutely floored me and I’m so excited to dive into book 2.

If you are a fan of Throne of Glass, ACOTAR or Forth Wing, you will love this!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc and chance to review.

There was such a range of characters for me to love and a few to hate and scream with rage at, especially at the end. I love how they each have their own backstory and history as to who they are and why they are the way that they are. The multi-pov was perfect and added even more to this.

The magic system and worldbuilding is amazing and I love the Nordic interpretations and theme.

There are times when it is slow and made me want to drop off reading, but the start and ending had me hooked, with the action, the twists and turns that had me in suspense.

I wasn’t a fan of the love triangle that wasn’t really a love triangle at the same time and some of the possessiveness and controlling aspect of one of the love interest was uncomfortable.

4.5 stars that’s closer to a five than a four.

The Road of Bones is the first book in The Ashen series by Demi Winters. It follows Silla Nordvig who is running from her past and forced to travel across the Kingdom of Íseldur. On this journey Silla finds herself traveling with the deadly Bloodaxe Crew. Filled with fantasy elements, romance and action, The Road of Bones is a captivating story of soft strengths and self discovery.

My post reading thoughts:
- This story included a range of interesting characters that each felt fleshed out and like their own people, helping create a well connected story and world. It was also great to have a diverse range of characters included each with their own back stories.
- There was a lot of world building (eg abundance of characters, places, slang to get used to) up front which isn’t uncommon for a fantasy series and whilst this did slow the beginning of the story initially it really picked up pace for me fairly quickly and I found myself wanting to read more and more. Additionally whilst this is a new fantasy world, having it set in Viking lore made it feel quite grounded and realistic.
- The story included lots of twists and turns throughout that were well thought through and smartly put together. There were some mysteries that you might see coming but there were quite a few that I did not!
- I feel like this first book leaves you with a good balance of answered questions to feel satisfied along with unanswered mysteries to set up the next book(s) in the series.
- There is what seems to be an interesting magic system in the world. I only say ‘seems’ as it’s not delved into too much in this first book due to the knowledge limitations of our protagonist. However I didn’t find this to be an issue, as I’m excited to learn more alongside our protagonist in future books (I assume).
- There is frequent use of nicknames throughout the book - which is fine. However it sometimes made it difficult initially to keep track of who was who, especially when a certain character was referred to as ‘the warrior’ while other characters were also described as warriors.
- This first and foremost is a fantasy novel with a romantic subplot that is balanced out with action scenes - which feels to me very similar (in balance) to the Throne of Glass series. So if you enjoyed that, I would say you would also enjoy this book.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to jumping into the second in the series when released. As mentioned above if you enjoy TOG or A Fate Inked In Blood (another Viking romance) I think you will also enjoy The Road of Bones.

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and NetGallery for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book comes across as quite unclear and the action starts off really good but it's slow at points

This is the first book in the Ashen series. We follow a woman named Silla who has had her whole life turned upside down. She finds herself on the run North to a safe house, but to get there she needs to travel the dangerous Road of Bones whilst being hunted by warriors sent by the Queen.

Wowwww I loved this so much! It has a Viking setting which always draws me in. I think the world and magic system was so interesting. I was drawn in from the start & it kept me that way all the way through.

I think all the characters are well fleshed out, and I really found myself caring for all the main ones (except for one..). I honestly couldn’t have guessed the twists and secrets that were revealed through the book - I was HOOKED, it kept the story so interesting.

I found that Demi balanced the romance & action so well alongside the fantasy aspects.

I honestly really liked Silla, I think she’s a great FMC with so much room for character growth (even after seeing the start of that during this book). I really love the found family trope explored in the story, and watching Silla worm her way in.

To wrap-up, I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting, moderately paced and kept me guessing. I’m absolutely buying this when it comes out, and am eagerly awaiting reading the sequel!

Tropes: Found family / enemies to lovers / one horse / forced proximity / secrets / betrayal

I love romantasy but I have struggled for ages to find something new and refreshing. This was just what I needed to get me back into the genre. Thank you, Demi Winters, for writing a really cool and different story with a strong and likeable FMC and fascinating fantasy world! There’s magic and secrets and amazing found family. It’s in multi-POV which is a winner for me as I always connect to the characters more this way. For a debut novel this was so great and I’m already looking forward to reading book number two in the series. I know it’ll be as good, if not better!

The story was a little slow for me, I don't think it needed to be this long.

The reveal of who Silla is was a bit obvious by the time if happened.

Overall an ok first book in a series but it didn't hook me enough to continue.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.